Wars+and+Famous+Battles


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Terrifying Thermopylae - Clarence The **Battle of Thermopylae** was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place in August or September 480 BC, at the pass of Thermopylae. Xerxes had amassed a huge army and navy, and set out to conquer all of Greece. The Athenian general Themistocles had proposed that the Allied Greeks block the advance of the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae, and simultaneously block the Persian navy at the Straits of Artemisium. An Allied force of approximately 7,000 men thus marched north to block the pass in the summer of 480 BC. The Persian army, alleged by the ancient sources to have numbered in the millions, arrived at the pass in late August or early September. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held off the Persians for seven days in total, before the rear-guard was destroyed in one of history's most famous last stands. During two full days of battle, the small force led by King Leonidas I of Sparta blocked the only road by which the massive Persian army could pass. After the second day of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a small path that led behind the Greek lines. Aware that his force was being outflanked, Leonidas dismissed the bulk of the Greek army, and remained to guard the rear with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans and perhaps a few hundred others, the vast majority of whom were killed. **Date ** || **Location ** || **Result ** || **Territorial changes ** || **Belligerents ** || **Commanders ** || **Strength ** || 5,200+ 7,400+ 11,200 ** || 1,800,000 ~800,000 70,000–300,000  ** || **Casualties and losses ** ||
 * August 7 or September 8–10, 480 BC ** ||
 * Thermopylae, Greece ** ||
 * Persian victory. ** ||
 * Persians gain control of Boeotia and march for Athens. ** || ||
 * Greek City States ** ||
 * Persian Empire ** ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Persian Empire ** ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Leonidas I ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">† ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">, **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Demophilus ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">† **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Xerxes I of Persia ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">, **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Mardonius ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">, **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Hydarnes **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Hydarnes **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Total
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Total
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Total
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">1,000 to 4,000 ** ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">~20,000 ** ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">~20,000 ** ||